Altered Comfort

Today I wanted to share a fun and easy gift box. This is a little box that I altered from a paper mache round container. I covered the outside with paper, using Scor-Tape to adhere the paper to the box.

I added lace trims and crinkled seam binding, along with pearl pin embellishments.

The paper ephemera is by K & Co. The lace trims I have had in my stash for awhile and the seam binding was purchased in an Etsy Shop.

The sentiment is from a Kit of the Month by Unity Stamp Co. I stamped on the designer paper, then cut out using Spellbinders Classic Heart dies.


I love baths with yummy scents, candles, and music - low lights - a little glass of something refreshing - and serenity kicks in! Pleasurable for all the senses!

This is a little gift set I made my my in-college daughter!

Stamps: May 2010 Store KOTM by Unity

Paper: Bo Bunny DP, Kraft

Ink: Blue Bayou, Antique Linen and Spun Sugar Distress

Accessories: crinkled seam binding (French Market), journaling tags and ephemera (K & Co.), Pretties kit (SU!), lace trims, Spellbinders heart dies, pearls (Kaiser and Basic Grey)

It's Dare to Get Dirty Time!

Today I am hosting one of the Dare to Get Dirty challenges over at Splitcoaststampers! If you are a Fan Club member, you can play along! If you aren't a Fan Club member yet, you should be! Click here to find out all about it!

This is one of the samples that I made for my challenge today. The other one is posted on the Splitcoast Facebook page today and will be posted here later this week! Click on the photo for a close-up!

I can't share the details of the challenge here (good reason to join the SCS Fan Club!), but I hope that you will come find out what it's all about and play along!

Paper: Crumb Cake, Cosmo Cricket DP  

Accessories: white dotted organdy (Really Reasonable Ribbon), pink pom pom trim (Hobby Lobby), paper piercer, paper flower (Prima), Wordsworth vellum tag

Other challenges for this card:

• Bearly Mine - Anything Goes
• Sassy Cheryl's - Pretty Papers
• The Stamping Boutique - Anything Goes
• Twisted Tuesday - Anything Goes

Remembering

To all the military families who have given so much 

and have sacrificed so much - thank you. 

You inspire me.

Challenges for this card:

Art With No Boundaries - Anything Goes

Bunny Zoe's Crafts - Anything Goes

Crafty Boots - Anything Goes

House of Gilli - Die Cuts/Punches

The Cutie Pie Challenge - Die Cuts/Punches

Use Your Stuff - Texture 

The Shabby Tea Room - Photo Inspiration plus Flowers, Fabric Element and white/cream, pink, blue

There's Magic in the Air - BINGO (punches, flowers, circles)

Kaboodle Doodles - Anything Goes  

Love to Create - Add a Sentiment  

Ooh La La Creations - Make it Girly 

Tammy Scrapin Corner - Anything Goes

   

Stamps: Sweet Violets by Flourishes

Paper: Pink Paislee Butterfly DP, River Rock, Sahara Sand, Naturals Ivory 

Ink: Taken With Teal, Always Artichoke 

Accessories and Tools:  flowers (Prima), Chino Pearls (Kaiser), Moss Green seam binding (coffee dyed) and lace (Really Reasonable Ribbon), ticket corner punch

Just Hangin' Out!

This week I have been just hangin' out in Arizona (where I grew up) with my sister. We have had a ton of fun - shopping, eating at great restaurants, doing nothing and stamping! The week has gone by so quickly. I can't believe I have to go home (and back to reality!) tomorrow. So here is a fun card for what I have been doing this week!

Be sure to stop by tomorrow for a glorious Mother's Day blog hop with the Stampin' Sisterhood at Rubbernecker Stamps!

Stamps: Tree Swing by My Favorite Things

Paper: Authentique Gathering DP, PTI White, Really Rust, Soft Sky

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Accessories: button, linen thread, Spellbinders dies, distressing tool

Challenges for this card: 

Card Makin' Mamas - Buttons 

Crafty Ann's - Spring/Easter 

Crafty Catz - Spring 

Delicious Doodles - The Wonder of Life 

Phindy’s Place - Animal Planet 

Poodles Parlour - Anything Goes 

Simply Create Too - Spring 

Stampin' For The Weekend - Anything Goes

Winds of March

Three months of 2012 almost to the wind! Time seems to be fleeting! Do you feel that way?

I have two school music programs coming up in a couple of weeks, and I am sure that has something to do with it. But it's hard to believe that my baby daughter is almost through one year of college. And that this school year will be over in two months! 

I wanted to share this thank you card that I made with some luscious crinkled seam binding. I purchase my seam binding from various Etsy stores -- I would rather pay a little bit than dye it and crinkle it myself! I don't have time! :)

My image is called Script Thank You Circle from a wonderful set by Sparkle N Sprinkle called Thanks A Bunch (stamp set 415). It has so many great fonts and ways to say thank you in this set! It is also available individually.

Anything paired with black seems to become elegant! I probably use more black cardstock than any other color. My favorites? For card bases: Poptone Black Licorice (heavy weight that I love!). For layering and stamping: Stampin' Up Basic Black. I also have some "cardstock" from The Paper Studio (Hobby Lobby) that is black, but the weight is very light (I wouldn't even call it cardstock, although they do) and I use it for multi-layered needs. I don't want my card weighing 2 pounds!

Have a marvelous day! It will go fast!

Stamps: Stamp Set 415 Thanks A Bunch by Sparkle N Sprinkle

Paper: Always Artichoke, Certainly Celery, Basic Gray, Basic Black (SU!), Sweet Tooth (Stamp School), Enchanted DP by Bo Bunny

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: slit punch, Spellbinders dies, twine, button, stick pins, Kaiser pearls, French Market crinkled seam binding  Challenges for this card: Just Inspirational - inspiraton photo  Fab 'n' Funky - Luck of the Irish Paper Pretties - Thank you card Simon Says Stamp - Green Whimsical Wednesdays - green Sassy Cheryl's - Wearin' Of The Green ColourQ - Color Challenge (some substitutions for what I had!) Kaboodle Doodles - Show us some Green  MyGrafico - St. Patrick`s Day  Victorine Originals - Green and White or Black

I Love Poetry

I love poetry. Oh to have a way with words -- like Wordsworth :)

My dad was a writer - short stories, a few longer ones, but mostly poetry. When I was in 8th grade, I had to have an operation on my arm and he wrote me a beautiful poem called "Little Bird."
It is one of the few things I have memorized! What was really special about it was that we didn't have computers in those days, and although he could have typed it, he hand wrote my copy, which I still have. The first part (it's many lines long) goes like this:

"Little bird with wounded wing
Although you cannot fly, you still can sing
Safe in God's care, and therefore bring
Joy despite this illness-thing."

He instilled in me a love for poetry at a young age, and had stories to tell of many poets whom he knew. Robert Frost was one of those, and probably because of the stories and conversations he had with Frost and then with me, Frost is my favorite poet (although I have others that are close - including one that lives right in my town!).

I loved this Wordsworth quote - and as I get older, I say a lot more often "...to be young was heaven!"

The heart is grungeboard that I covered with Raspberry VersaColor ink, followed by Encore Metallic Gold, and then embossed with Ocean Spark embossing powder.

I hope you have a blissful day!

Challenges for this card:
Friendship's Garden - Love + 3 embellishments 
Little Darlings Challenges - Favorite Embellishments
Penny's Paper-Crafty - anything goes
Celebrate the Occasion - Valentine's Day
Crazy Amigo Challenge - Hearts
Creative Craft Challenges - Valentines
Sweet Stamps - Roses

Paper: Kraft, Madeline DP by Prima

Ink: VersaColor Raspberry, Encore Metallic Gold

Accessories: Wild Orchid flowers, Tim Holtz Grungeboard, Sparkle N Sprinkle Ocean Spark Embossing Powder, French Market hand dyed crinkled seam binding, K & C. journaling tag, Colorbok Emotion Velum Quotes

Puppy Love

I love this sweet little image from There She Goes. It is part of a darling set called - you guessed it - Puppy Love. It has SO many images that are so adorable! This is the valentine I made for my daughter. I am traveling to visit her this weekend (she is in college over 700 miles away) and am taking it with me, along with some other belated valentine gifts. She is a Theatre major and her acting debut as a college student is this weekend, so I am excited to go and see her play! We have two dogs that she misses a lot, so I thought this was a perfect card for her.

I will have some fun things to show you while I am gone, so be sure to come for a visit!  Today is my last day as a current Dirty Dozen Design Team member. Tomorrow will make six months - and time to turn the reins (and reign!) over to a new Dirty Girl -- you will LOVE what they have made, so be sure to check out the Splitcoast Fan Club tomorrow! If you are not a member, you NEED to be!!

Have a GREAT night!

Challenges for this card:
Can You Digi It - Puppy Love
Clear It Out! - Valentine's/Love Twist Use your pink/red scraps 
Crafty Sentiments - Love
Creative Craft Challenges - Valentines

Stamps: Puppy Love by There She Goes

Paper: Kraft, Whisper White, Pink Pirouette, Radiant DP by Crafty Secrets

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black, Copic markers

Accessories: sewing machine, silver half pearls (Mark Richards), Large Circle & Scalloped Circle dies (Spellbinders), button, Baker's Twine & White Diamond Satin Ribbon (Really Reasonable Ribbon), border punch (EK Success)

It's a Foggy Snowy Day!

How is it in your corner of the world?  

It's 18 degrees here right now (7 degrees wind chill) and there is a white blanket of fog everywhere. It's very quiet and calm. So it's time to shake things up a bit and make some snowmen!

Click on the photo to see a close-up. This is a fun set I got a long time ago from Close to My Heart. I love how you can dress the snowmen all differently!

What are your plans for the weekend? I have a lot of stamping to do, plus just some organizing that I would like to get done. Have you taken a peek at my Garage Sale?? There are some goodies in there you might NEED.  :)

Hope you have a great weekend!

Challenges for this card:
Crafty Creations - Swirly Whirly (snow)
Little Darlings Challenges - Favorite Embellishments (glitter)
Scrapbook Sisters - anything goes
Whimsical Wednesdays - red, white and one other color (blue)
Paper Take Weekly - Anything Goes

Stamps: Close to My Heart

Paper: Not Quite Navy, Bashful Blue, Cherry Cobbler, PTI White, The Four Seasons DP by The Paper Studio

Ink: Copics

Accessories: snowflake stickers (K & Co.), tag, rub-on letters, Crystal Stickles

For My Poppy

When I was in college, I received a treasured gift from my dad, which hangs in my living room today. It was an oil painting of a poppy garden. I was young (17), but loved art, music and the humanities, and my dad also knew that I loved flowers with bright colors. We didn't have a lot of extra money, and I knew that he had sacrificed a lot to purchase it.

It was a rather unique gift, I thought, because it made me feel like an adult. I owned a beautifully framed oil painting!

Over the years, as we have moved, it has always hung in my living room. I love the warm, rich hues of the petals and the muted impressionistic background. I started acquiring several different types of poppy artwork, and have hung them all in the living rooms in our homes.

Incidentally, I didn't call my dad "Dad." To him, and to my sister, he was always "Poppy." Now that he is gone (a little over two years), it brings me so much comfort to see his gift and the warmth of his smile in the picture of the two of us right below it on the end table, and I am grateful for the man he was and the father he was. I miss you, Poppy.

Stamps: Poppy Patch by Flourishes & French Script by Stampin' Up!

Paper: Always Artichoke, Kraft, Pumpkin Pie, Mellow Moss, Very Vanilla, Apricot Appeal, watercolor, DP by K & Co.

Ink: Apricot Appeal, Pumpkin Pie, Mellow Moss, Certainly Celery, VersaMark, VersaColor Bamboo, Paprika and Topaz, Antique Linen Distress

Accessories: Grand Ovals, Circles Large, Labels 10 (Spellbinders), grungeboard (Tim Holtz), MS punch, metal heart charm, stick pin, crinkled seam binding (French Market), Chino Pearls (Kaiser), Diamond Stickles, Clear EP (Ranger), distressing tool, Cuttlebug EF

Halfway Through January!

Today is the 15th and that means it's time for two new Dirty girls to join the Dirty Dozen at Splitcoaststampers. If you are a Fan Club member, you will be able to see who they are and see the creations I made for this month's theme! If not, head over there and join! It's a great way to support SCS and receive benefits just for FC members! I am SUPER excited about both girls that are joining the SCS Design Team this month! Here is a sneak peek of one of my creations:

Isn't he cute?

I can't believe how fast my six months on the team has gone! I only have one more month as a Dirty Girl! Seems like I was just announcing my secret! It has been so much fun.

The 15th also brings a new challenge to Really Reasonable Ribbon and today's challenge is Valentines! Of course you must have ribbon or trim somewhere on your project! Here is what I made:

I used my Grand Calibur and Grand Ovals dies to cut out my frame, then added some fun designer paper by The Paper Studio to the inside before I stamped my sentiment. I embossed with Cuttlebug's Seeing Spots embossing folder. The heart is a Spellinders die. I made two slits and tied it with Dots White Organza and Cherry Baker's Twine from Really Reasonable Ribbon. I used my heat gun to curl the edges of the ribbon.

Kind of hard to get a good photo that shows both the inside and out! I hope you will play along!

Other challenges for this card:

• Card Cupids - Valentines 
• Catered Crop - Buttons
• Dream Valley Challenges - Anything Goes
• Gingerloft - Anything Goes
• Let`s Ink It Up - Anything Goes 
• One Stitch At A Time - Anything Goes
• PanPastel UK Challenge - Anything Goes
• Penny Black and More - Love and Hearts
• Sentimental Sundays - Ribbon
• Designed 2 Delight - Card or Project to include a Heart 
• Drunken Stampers - Love
• A Gem of a Challenge - Picture Inspiration  

Stamps: Pretty Phrases by Paper Smooches

Paper: PTI White, Cherry Cobbler, DP by The Paper Studio

Ink: Memento Tuxedo Black

Accessories: (and Tools): heat gun, Grand Ovals and Heart dies (Spellbinders), Cherry Baker's Twine & Dots White Organza (Really Reasonable Ribbon), button, Seeing Spots embossing folder (Cuttlebug)

A New Year Wish

I think this card's sentiment is perfect for the New Year! "Encourage your hopes, not your fears."
Wouldn't life be disheartening without hope? We hope we will lose weight, find a new job, stamp something pretty, be liked. We hope our children will make friends at school, that our new recipe turns out, that we have enough money, that we can zip up the jeans. We hope we can keep our mouths closed when we should and that we will have the courage to stand up for something when it's right. We hope for a cure for cancer, hope that the wars will end, hope that our family is safe, and hope that we can sleep well tonight.

Whether we be young or old,
Our destiny, our being's heart and home,
Is with infinitude, and only there;
With hope it is, hope that can never die,
Effort and expectation, and desire,
And something evermore about to be.
--William Wordsworth (The Prelude)

Have a wonderful day!

Card Challenges:

Catch The Bug - January Anything Goes

Craft Your Days Away - New Beginnings

Crafty Emma - Anything goes

Crazy 4 Challenges - New Year, use something new (first time to use the stamps!)

Just Some Lines - Anything to do with New Year 

Sweet Stampin - Spots and Dots (in the designer paper)

Card Makin' Mamas - New Year or Something New 

Crafty Catz - New Beginning 

Fairy Tale - Something New (first time to use the stamps!)

Jellypark Challenges - Use Something Old AND Something New (new: stamps - old: roses)

Fashionista Friday – Use up Stash (roses) 
    

Stamps: French Connection by Tim Holtz

Paper: Very Vanilla, Naturals Ivory, Stella and Rose Hattie Papers (My Mind's Eye)

Ink: Baja Breeze, Blue Bayou, Close to Cocoa

Accessories: journaling tag (K & Co.), distressing tool, paper doily, Latte pearls (Kaiser), paper roses (Wild Orchid), Circle and Pendant dies (Spellbinders), Sunburst Border Punch (Fiskars)

Thankful For My Stamping Friends

This card is in honor of all of my stamping friends. It is really a comfort to have people in your life that understand your excitement about finding dyed seam binding, or the perfect button, or receiving a 6x6 paper pad as a gift!


Seriously, my closest friends really do live in my computer. And I have had the honor and opportunity to meet many of you (not enough!) in person. There are not a lot of women my age (or any age!) in my town that enjoy doing the same things that I do and I am so very blessed to have my SCS friends that do!


Thank you for being in my life! Your creativity inspires me every day. You bring me comfort, laughter, tears, silliness, fun, inspiration, stories, and life experiences that make my life richer.


As the sentiment says, I don't always see you, but I know you are there. :)

Stamps: July 2011 KOTM by Unity

Paper: Kraft, Blue Bayou, Baja Breeze, Confetti White, Kraft, Naturals Ivory (SU!), Kraft (PTI), Tickled Pink DP by My Mind's Eye, stash turquoise

Ink: Blue Bayou

Accessories: Diamonds in the Rough embossing folder (Cuttlebug), Chipboard Alphabet (Cosmo Cricket), lace trims (Offray), paper flowers (Prima), Itty Bitty Brad (CTMH), Crinkled Seam Binding (French Market), MS edge punch

I Love Twill!

I love twill. Any color. And at Really Reasonable Ribbon, Bonnie carries a beautiful assortment of colors HERE. But my favorite is the Totally Twill Cream. It is so versatile!
I have been making Christmas and winter-themed cards for several weeks now, so I am venturing off and showing you a non-Christmas creation today.

My images are from Tim Holtz's Nature's Elements stamp set. I wrapped my card with the twill, tied a bow, and also added a little twill tab to the striped panel. I think it fits the design perfectly! 

There are two assortments of twill available in the RRR Store, and many pretty individual colors as well. I hope you will check them out!
Thanks for stopping by today. Our challenge at RRR this week is "Anything Goes," so be sure to play along!

Stamps: Nature's Elements by Tim Holtz

Paper: Wassail DP by Basic Grey, Riding Hood Red, Textured Beige (The Paper Studio), GP White

Ink: Pumpkin Pie, Always Artichoke, Riding Hood Red, Antique Linen Distress

Accessories: Diamond Stickles, Totally Twill Cream (RRR), vintage button, Karen Foster stick pin, Spellbinders Circles Large and Scalloped Circles Large, metal charm, lace trim

The Secret Is Out!!! I Am A............

I AM A DIRTY GIRL!!! 

Oh my GOODNESS!! I can finally shout it from the rooftops!  

It is so hard to keep that secret for so long (a month!), so it is a good thing I could share it with my family and with my new Splitcoaststampers DIRTY DOZEN sister, Eva Dobilas!  Both Eva and I are honored and excited beyond belief! In Eva's words, "Something any stamper would wish and hope for, an honor of being asked to join THE most ELITE designers in the stamping world!" I am thrilled, humbled, nervous and excited all at the same time!! (And I am sure about now my daughter would say, "Mom, quit using so many exclamation points.")

I would love to be able to share my creations with you that I made for this month's Dirty Dozen Gallery, but that is one of the perks of being a Fan Club member at SCS, so it will be a few months before I can post them here. I can show you a little sneak peek of some though, and, if you are not already a member, I urge you to join the Fan Club today! CLICK HERE to join.

Some sneak peeks!

To celebrate, I will be giving away some fun candy every time I post here for the next week! I am just so excited, I want to share that with you! You all inspire me with your talents and your friendship every day. Thank you!

Today I am giving away a grab bag of 30 brand-new assorted stamps from Unity! If you are interested in winning, just leave me a comment on this post and make sure you say "candy" in there somewhere so I will know whose name to throw in the hat! A winner will be drawn from all interested on Sunday.

A special shout-out to Monica Hunter, of Hambo Stamps, for having the confidence and faith in me a few years ago to ask me to be on her Design Team - my very first. :) 

And thank you, Lydia Fielder, for the confidence and faith you have in me to be a part of the Splitcoast Dirty Dozen! SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

Have a GREAT DAY!